Scarlett Sutcliffe, 17, from St Helens, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in December 2024 after her left eye turned inwards following a cold she caught from her brother Miles.
For years, Scarlett had struggled with settling in at school, which her parents Donna Byron and Carl Sutcliffe attributed to her autism, ADHD and anxiety. Over time, she experienced constant tiredness, a tingling sensation in different parts of her body and bladder control issues while at school.
A Sudden Change in Vision
In September 2024, Scarlett fell ill after catching a cold from her brother. Around six weeks later, her left eye turned inwards. Mum Donna, 53, told the ECHO: “On the Saturday, she was saying, ‘I can't see properly’. I just presumed she was having one of those visual migraines. Her dad has migraines and his mum has migraines, so I thought it's just one of them.”
Donna continued: “Then on the Monday she was seeing the educational psychologist. When she'd finished there, she was stumbling about and I thought she was just exaggerating. I dropped her off at home and I went to work. And then my dad came home and said, ‘look, Scarlet's eye has turned in, her eye looks funny.’ The doctors rang. I told them what was going on, and they said, ‘you need to take her to A&E now’.”
Devastating Diagnosis
After several hospital visits, Scarlett was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in December 2024. MS is a condition affecting the brain and spinal cord. There is no cure, but treatment can help manage it. Symptoms include extreme fatigue, vision problems, tingling sensations and bladder control issues. Catching a cold can worsen these symptoms.
Donna said: “She caught a cold from her brother but the doctors said that was the catalyst for her MS. The diagnosis was just devastating. She was hysterically crying. She's only a kid and doctors said MS is really rare in children. There are about 30,000 children worldwide that have it and she's one of them.”
Family's Ongoing Challenges
The diagnosis has been difficult for the family, especially for Donna, who is undergoing treatment for breast cancer. She was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer after finding a lump in June 2023 when she returned home from a gig in Liverpool city centre. Donna said: “I had a year off work. I had chemotherapy for five months. With the kids, we have a laugh about it, because otherwise, it's just going to be dreadful. I was really clumsy with the chemotherapy. I was just dropping things all the time.”
Scarlett receives intravenous treatment every six months. The treatment targets the white blood cells that attack her nervous system. She still deals with daily pain, fatigue, memory problems and symptoms that worsen in the heat.
Fundraising for MS Society
To support Scarlett and others with MS, Carl and a family friend will drive a £600 car 1,400 miles from Liverpool to Benidorm over five days, setting off via the Dover ferry on September 8, as part of a banger rally raising money for the MS Society. The organisation supports people living with MS, funds research and campaigns for change. A GoFundMe fundraising page has raised more than £2,100 so far.
Donna said: “Seeing these donations coming in has really given her a lift. I told her how much had been raised the other day and she started crying. It's hard. We've had a tough few years.”
